


nothing in the world that could stop it

by komhmagnus



Series: inspired by 3b [11]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Coda, Episode: s03e18 The Beast Within, Hopeful Ending, Hurt Alec Lightwood, Hurt Magnus Bane, M/M, Magnus Bane Deserves Nice Things, Post-Episode: s03e17 Heavenly Fire, based on 3x18 promo, fuck asmodeus broooo, let them be happy please
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 06:15:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18404792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/komhmagnus/pseuds/komhmagnus
Summary: It’s funny, Alec thinks. He’d made a jab in the heat of an argument about ending up in Magnus’s box one day. He never thought it would come so soon.





	nothing in the world that could stop it

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Dancing With Our Hands Tied by Taylor Swift

“I’m sorry, Magnus,” Alec whispers, tasting the tears on Magnus’s lips. “I’m so sorry, but it has to be this way.”

“Why?” Magnus yells, and the sound reverberates in Alec’s bones, shaking him to his core. The sound of Magnus’s voice is twisted, so beyond even the pain Alec had heard, had _seen_ , the other night on the balcony.

He closes his eyes, unable to see Magnus in that much pain again. Unable to think, to _believe_ , he might be the cause. _It will be okay_ , he tells himself. Magnus will get through this. He’ll have his magic again, and he’ll be _happy_. He’ll learn to be okay without Alec.

“It just does,” Alec says, tearing his eyes open because he owes Magnus that much, at least. He can’t offer him an explanation, can’t risk Asmodeus revoking the deal, even if it’s the deal itself that’s tearing Alec apart by each individual cell making up his body. Magnus’s cheeks are wet, black lines dripping down from his eyeliner that’s being replaced by red puffiness from the tears.

Alec reaches into his coat pocket, fingers wrapping around the box that’s been burning a hole there since he’d gotten it from his mother. He grabs Magnus’s shaking hand, pressing the box into his palm and closing his fingers around it. “I just need you to know that I love you, and I’ll always love you, no matter what.”

It’s funny, Alec thinks. He’d made a jab in the heat of an argument about ending up in Magnus’s box one day. He never thought it would come so soon.

Magnus stares down at the box for a moment, slowly trying to process _what the fuck_ was going on. Alec doesn’t move, instead staring and committing every last thing about Magnus Bane to memory, even though he’s fairly certain he already did that a long time ago. “Alexander, is this—”

“Yes,” Alec says, his voice thick. “But it can’t be anymore.”

“Why not? Alexander—” Magnus voice is rising, the desperation and the fear breaking every last millimeter of Alec’s heart. No piece of him will go unscathed from this, he thinks, not that he ever imagined it would. Leaving Magnus’s side will be the hardest damn thing Alec Lightwood’s ever had to do. _How_ , he wonders, how had he ever thought that about choosing Magnus in the first place, all those months ago?

“Because it’s the only way!” Alec snaps, but his anger isn’t directed at Magnus. It’s at Asmodeus for making it his personal mission to take everything away from his son, at the world for putting Magnus through more pain than anyone ever deserves, at himself for not seeing any other way. “It’s the only way that you’ll—” He cuts himself off before he can say too much, before he ruins everything.

But Magnus seems to hear how that sentence would’ve ended anyways, his eyes widening. “The only way that I’ll _what_?” he presses. “Get my magic back? Is this— Oh.”

Alec says nothing, not trusting himself to answer. Asmodeus had been insistent that if Alec told Magnus, the deal was off. He hadn’t specified what would happen if _Magnus_ figured it out for himself.

“My father,” Magnus breathes, the desperate sadness in his eyes replaced by invigorated anger, and if the circumstances had been any different, Alec might have kissed him. “Did you make a deal with him? Leave me and he’ll return my magic?”

Again, Alec says nothing, but something in his face must give it away.

“No, Alexander,” Magnus says. “No, no. This is not happening. I won’t allow it.”

“Magnus—”

“Listen to me, Alexander. I am not losing you.” The words come out through gritted teeth, the determination behind them fierce. “Not to him, not to this, not ever, if I could help it.” Magnus’s hand rises to cup his cheek, and Alec doesn’t even think of denying himself the pleasure of leaning into the touch. “I am not losing you,” he repeats, the words softer this time.

“But your magic—” Alec says, cutting off as Magnus vehemently shakes his head.

“I won’t lie to you, Alexander, and say that I’m okay without it. Not after the other night. And I can’t tell you that it won’t be hard, and I won’t struggle and have horrible days. But,” he adds, “I can tell you that I need you, magic or not. I would rather live without my magic, than live without you.” Magnus’s eyes are unwavering, staring determinedly into Alec’s.

Alec searches his eyes, sees the tears replaced by a sureness, sees the love and hope, and he knows. He feels like he can breathe again. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. “For going to him. For not telling you. For not knowing how to help you or what you need.”

“How could you know?” Magnus asks quietly. “I’m very good at hiding when I want to. I--I promise I’ll try not to hide as much, to let you in.”

For the first time since the night on the balcony, Alec smiles. Just a small upturn of the lips, but still. It feels monumental, and even more so when Magnus smiles in return. “I promise not to make any decisions that impact you or both of us without talking to you first,” he whispers.

“Thank you,” Magnus says, and Alec hears the words behind it-- _Thank you for not leaving_ . _Thank you for trying_ \--and Alec can’t hold himself back anymore. He wraps his arms tightly around Magnus, pulling him close and pressing his face into his shoulder. He feels Magnus’s arms slide around his own back, and he wants to sink into the feeling.

Alec’s mind flashes to Asmodeus, to his words earlier that day. He hugs Magnus a little tighter, thinking a silent _Fuck you_ to the King of Hell.

“Alexander?” Magnus says, pulling away. Alec stares as he holds out the ring box. “Take this,” he whispers, “and give it to me. Not today, just...Soon,” he settles on.

Alec smiles, gently taking the box from Magnus’s hand. “Soon,” he agrees, leaning in to kiss the remains of Magnus’s tears away. _Fuck you_ to the King of Hell, indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Comments and kudos are appreciated 💖  
> Find me on Tumblr and Twitter @banesapothecary!


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